Collapsible/foldable shelters, such as canopies, tents, pavilions, and awnings, that can easily be transported and rapidly setup are useful for a variety of applications. These collapsible shelters may be used as pop-up tents, stands, party tents, trade show booths, point-of sale kiosks, market tents, exhibition tents for accommodating goods and advertising material, and the like. Such tents are often stored in carrying bags and carried to setup locations. Depending on the size of the tent/shelter and the distance to be covered, transport of such tents/shelter may be very strenuous, particularly for one person.
Conventional devices for transporting portable shelters involve the use of wheeled platforms, transporters, and dollies. However, these devices are often too bulky and heavy to use by one operator, particularly when transport involves stairs, hills, or uneven terrain. Also, it is often very challenging for one operator to be able to maneuver and lift the tent/shelter into a position where it can be securely loaded onto the dolly.
Most conventional carriers and wheeled platforms for transporting shelters require a support/foot plate for stabilizing and supporting the loaded shelter on the carrier. This type of attachment is problematic since it either requires lifting the shelter to allow for correct alignment of the posts on the carrier or requires that the shelter be laid down in a horizontal position. Some other conventional wheeled carriers for transporting heavy objects do not have a support/foot plate. However, these carriers often have handles for rotationally inserting lifting elements on the carrier into holes on located on the heavy objects. In addition, these carriers are not configured for insertion into locations on portable shelters that are oriented in an upright position.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a wheeled carrier that can selectively attach to a portable shelter oriented in an upright position in order to allow a single person to easily lift and transport the portable shelter.